Design Links (Updated 11/29/2010)
1) Refresh vessel volume of water
On the side of the vessel, at a height above the grain bed, is an overflow drain. By constantly flowing water into the chamber via the sprinklers and through an inlet in the plenum the overflow will go out the overflow drain, also taking unwanted dirt and chaff with it.
2) Increase moisture content of barley
The malter will go through wet and dry cycles (steeping and couching), which will bring the moisture content up to 47%. The cycle times and durations will be variable through the control system so if another target other than 47% is desired it can be reached.
3) Aeration rate through water
The aeration rate is fairly low and so all that will be required is a large aquarium pump. The aquarium pump will push air through four nozzles placed below the malting chamber in the plenum. The air will then bubble up through the grain bed during the steeping phase.
4) Allow control of steeping water temperature
The pilot brewery has access to both a hot water and cold water stream. By using a thermocouple and solenoids to open the streams a controlled amount we can mix the water to attain the inflow water temp desired. The water will go to the waste drain until the desired temperature has been reached and stabilized. It will then be routed into the chamber by closing the dump valve and opening the chamber inlet valve.
5) Keep steeping grain temperature below maximum
We will have two thermocouples placed in the grain bed to monitor the temperature. If the temperature begins to rise into an unsafe zone the control system will detect it and spray cold water into the vessel via the sprinklers.
6) Drain steeping water
At the lowest point of the ducting there is a solenoid valve which will be opened when the couch or drain cycle is initiated. The water will drain into the same outlet as the overflow drain. We will be able to check that the water has drained by opening the cleaning cap.
7) Keep germinating grain temperature below maximum
Four 4" thermocouples will extend into the grain bed, two from the chamber perimeter and two from the middle column of the malter at heights of 3 inches and 9 inches. These thermocouple will be tied into the National Instruments FieldPoint system and LabVIEW. If the temperature probes measure a temperature that is above the accepted limit the LabVIEW control system will switch a solenoid to allow cold water to flow into the grain bed keeping the temperature down.
8) Keep germinating grain temperature above minimum
Four 4" thermocouples will extend into the grain bed, two from the chamber perimeter and two from the middle column of the malter at heights of 3 inches and 9 inches. These thermocouple will be tied into the National Instruments FieldPoint system and LabVIEW. If the temperature probes measure a temperature that is above the accepted limit the LabVIEW control system will switch a solenoid to allow steam to flow into the heat exchanger thus heating the air flowing through the grain bed.
9) Mix grain
The grain will be held in a circular chamber which has two augers attached to an arm that rotates about a central column. The rotation will be achieved with a roller chain/sprocket system. It will be driven by a motor mounted to the outside of the lid of the chamber, with the shaft aligned with the center of the central column. Attached to the motor shaft will be a sprocket that will transfer force via chain to another sprocket on the end of the auger arm, also slowing the motor down from 6 rpm to 3 rpm. This will rotate a shaft that has two more sprockets on it. One will mesh with a chain attached to the inner perimeter of the barley chamber which will propel the arm about the central pivot. The other sprocket will drive the auger rotation with another chain.
10) Allow adjustment of airflow rate
The blower will be attached to a variable frequency drive (VFD) which will allow for adjustment of the air flow rate from the LabVIEW control system.
11) Allow temperature adjustment of air
The air coming into the malter will first have to flow through a steam-air heat exchanger. By using a solenoid and the control system we can change the amount of steam going into the heat exchanger and thus control the inflow air temperature.
12) Recirculate air
The outlet of the blower will flow into a T which will have a hand operated damper attached to the outlet branch. When 100% recirculation is desired the damper is fully closed allowing the air to flow back into the ducting and through the grain bed. If 0% recirculation is desired the damper is fully opened allowing the air to flow into the surrounding environment.
13) Load barley in less than 15 minutes
The malter has a flip top lid which will allow the user to dump bags of barley in very easily and quickly.
14) Unload barley in less than 15 minutes
On the front of the malter is a manway which can be opened at the end of the malting process to get grain out. A chute will attach below the manway to allow the user to rake the malt out and into a bin.
15) Shall be less than 72" wide and 84” tall on one side
We have designed the malter to be 50" in diameter and less than 84” tall.
16) Malter shall weigh less than 700 lbs. unloaded
By using lighter weight material where stainless steel isn't needed and trying to reduce the amount of complexity we are keeping the weight under the limit.
17) Process 150 lbs of barely
We calculated the volume that a maximum load of 300 lbs. of barley would fill and designed the malter to hold that capacity. Room for an extra 50 lbs was added to the design to protect the device against overloading. We also made sure that the augers are close enough to the bottom of the chamber so that when running a smaller batch it will thoroughly mix the grain.
18) Cost less than $20,000 to build and test
The malter uses some high cost material (Stainless Steel) and some expensive electronic sensors, but we have sourced parts so that we do not go over budget. We've also tried to eliminate as many unnecessary features as possible to keep the design simple and low cost.
On the side of the vessel, at a height above the grain bed, is an overflow drain. By constantly flowing water into the chamber via the sprinklers and through an inlet in the plenum the overflow will go out the overflow drain, also taking unwanted dirt and chaff with it.
2) Increase moisture content of barley
The malter will go through wet and dry cycles (steeping and couching), which will bring the moisture content up to 47%. The cycle times and durations will be variable through the control system so if another target other than 47% is desired it can be reached.
3) Aeration rate through water
The aeration rate is fairly low and so all that will be required is a large aquarium pump. The aquarium pump will push air through four nozzles placed below the malting chamber in the plenum. The air will then bubble up through the grain bed during the steeping phase.
4) Allow control of steeping water temperature
The pilot brewery has access to both a hot water and cold water stream. By using a thermocouple and solenoids to open the streams a controlled amount we can mix the water to attain the inflow water temp desired. The water will go to the waste drain until the desired temperature has been reached and stabilized. It will then be routed into the chamber by closing the dump valve and opening the chamber inlet valve.
5) Keep steeping grain temperature below maximum
We will have two thermocouples placed in the grain bed to monitor the temperature. If the temperature begins to rise into an unsafe zone the control system will detect it and spray cold water into the vessel via the sprinklers.
6) Drain steeping water
At the lowest point of the ducting there is a solenoid valve which will be opened when the couch or drain cycle is initiated. The water will drain into the same outlet as the overflow drain. We will be able to check that the water has drained by opening the cleaning cap.
7) Keep germinating grain temperature below maximum
Four 4" thermocouples will extend into the grain bed, two from the chamber perimeter and two from the middle column of the malter at heights of 3 inches and 9 inches. These thermocouple will be tied into the National Instruments FieldPoint system and LabVIEW. If the temperature probes measure a temperature that is above the accepted limit the LabVIEW control system will switch a solenoid to allow cold water to flow into the grain bed keeping the temperature down.
8) Keep germinating grain temperature above minimum
Four 4" thermocouples will extend into the grain bed, two from the chamber perimeter and two from the middle column of the malter at heights of 3 inches and 9 inches. These thermocouple will be tied into the National Instruments FieldPoint system and LabVIEW. If the temperature probes measure a temperature that is above the accepted limit the LabVIEW control system will switch a solenoid to allow steam to flow into the heat exchanger thus heating the air flowing through the grain bed.
9) Mix grain
The grain will be held in a circular chamber which has two augers attached to an arm that rotates about a central column. The rotation will be achieved with a roller chain/sprocket system. It will be driven by a motor mounted to the outside of the lid of the chamber, with the shaft aligned with the center of the central column. Attached to the motor shaft will be a sprocket that will transfer force via chain to another sprocket on the end of the auger arm, also slowing the motor down from 6 rpm to 3 rpm. This will rotate a shaft that has two more sprockets on it. One will mesh with a chain attached to the inner perimeter of the barley chamber which will propel the arm about the central pivot. The other sprocket will drive the auger rotation with another chain.
10) Allow adjustment of airflow rate
The blower will be attached to a variable frequency drive (VFD) which will allow for adjustment of the air flow rate from the LabVIEW control system.
11) Allow temperature adjustment of air
The air coming into the malter will first have to flow through a steam-air heat exchanger. By using a solenoid and the control system we can change the amount of steam going into the heat exchanger and thus control the inflow air temperature.
12) Recirculate air
The outlet of the blower will flow into a T which will have a hand operated damper attached to the outlet branch. When 100% recirculation is desired the damper is fully closed allowing the air to flow back into the ducting and through the grain bed. If 0% recirculation is desired the damper is fully opened allowing the air to flow into the surrounding environment.
13) Load barley in less than 15 minutes
The malter has a flip top lid which will allow the user to dump bags of barley in very easily and quickly.
14) Unload barley in less than 15 minutes
On the front of the malter is a manway which can be opened at the end of the malting process to get grain out. A chute will attach below the manway to allow the user to rake the malt out and into a bin.
15) Shall be less than 72" wide and 84” tall on one side
We have designed the malter to be 50" in diameter and less than 84” tall.
16) Malter shall weigh less than 700 lbs. unloaded
By using lighter weight material where stainless steel isn't needed and trying to reduce the amount of complexity we are keeping the weight under the limit.
17) Process 150 lbs of barely
We calculated the volume that a maximum load of 300 lbs. of barley would fill and designed the malter to hold that capacity. Room for an extra 50 lbs was added to the design to protect the device against overloading. We also made sure that the augers are close enough to the bottom of the chamber so that when running a smaller batch it will thoroughly mix the grain.
18) Cost less than $20,000 to build and test
The malter uses some high cost material (Stainless Steel) and some expensive electronic sensors, but we have sourced parts so that we do not go over budget. We've also tried to eliminate as many unnecessary features as possible to keep the design simple and low cost.
